Although the present invention is described in connection with protection of a ureter during a surgical procedure this is done merely for purposes of ease of illustration; the invention being useful for protection of various body parts lying adjacent a region subjected to an invasive procedure.
Currently practiced methods and devices used to transilluminate the ureters to permit ready location and thus protection of the ureter during endoscopic procedures require the cystoscopic placement of a catheter housing a fiber optic light guide into the lumen of the ureter. The distal portion of the fiber optic light guide is treated to allow light preferably to emit circumferentially from the wall of the fiber. The proximal end of the fiber is coupled to a visible light source. A second light source is coupled to an endoscope and introduced into the surgical site.
Light detection of the transilluminated ureter using typical illuminating catheters such as the Bush DL.TM. Ureteral Illuminating Catheter Set coupled to a light source during endoscopic procedures is facilitated with a camera. The camera projects the detected image of the transilluminated ureter on a monitor for visualization. Sufficient light from the predicate devices must traverse the ureter and overlying tissues with ample intensity to penetrate surrounding tissue and to overcome the illuminated field from the endoscopic light for the camera to detect light emanating from the transilluminated ureter. In the presence of the normally illuminated operative field from the endoscopic light, the camera frequently cannot detect light emanating from the transilluminated ureter. In an attempt to optimize and intraoperatively improve the performance of their device, Cook Urological, Inc. suggests that it may be necessary to dim or eliminate the endoscopic light illuminating the surgical field.